The Heartless Alpha and his War Luna

Chapter 12

Lyara's POV

The next morning, I woke up with one goal.

Survive.

Not thrive.

Not fit in.

Not become the perfect Luna.

Just survive.

Because after one day in the Northern Kingdom, I had already learned an important lesson.

Everyone here smiled with their mouths.

Not with their hearts.

The palace servants were polite.

The nobles were respectful.

The council members bowed.

But none of them wanted me here.

I could feel it.

Every glance.

Every whisper.

Every forced smile.

Especially Selene's.

The woman somehow managed to look offended by my existence.

I almost admired her dedication.

Almost.

Lina followed closely behind me as we walked through the palace gardens.

"My lady, perhaps we should return."

I frowned.

"Why?"

She lowered her voice.

"They're staring again."

I looked around.

She was right.

Groups of noblewomen stood nearby, pretending not to watch me.

Pretending very badly.

I sighed.

"Let them stare."

Unfortunately, fate immediately decided to prove me wrong.

A voice called out behind me.

"Your Highness."

I turned.

Three noblewomen approached.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

And clearly looking for trouble.

Wonderful.

The tallest smiled.

A fake smile.

I was becoming an expert at recognizing those.

"We were discussing the wedding."

I already disliked where this was going.

"Were you?"

"Yes."

Her smile widened.

"We were simply surprised."

"About?"

"That the Alpha accepted a Southern bride."

Ah.

There it was.

The insult.

Wrapped in silk.

I smiled sweetly.

"Imagine my surprise when I discovered Northern manners were worse than Southern ones."

Lina nearly choked.

The noblewomen looked horrified.

Good.

One point for me.

Unfortunately, before they could respond, another voice interrupted.

Cold.

Powerful.

Dangerous.

"What is happening here?"

Every face turned pale.

Every single one.

I didn't need to look.

I already knew.

Kael.

The women bowed instantly.

"My king."

Interesting.

Five seconds ago they were fearless.

Now they looked ready to faint.

Kael's silver eyes swept across the group.

Then landed on me.

And stayed there.

My pulse betrayed me immediately.

Traitor.

The noblewoman cleared her throat nervously.

"We were simply welcoming the Luna."

Kael said nothing.

The silence stretched.

And stretched.

And stretched.

Even the birds seemed to reconsider their life choices.

Then—

"Leave."

One word.

That was all.

The women practically fled.

Cowards.

I folded my arms.

"I could have handled that."

Kael looked amused.

"I know."

"Then why interfere?"

He stepped closer.

Not enough to alarm me.

Just enough to annoy me.

A special talent of his.

"You looked ready to start a war."

"I was."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Not a smile.

Close.

Very close.

Then his expression hardened.

His gaze shifted beyond me.

Toward the garden wall.

Toward something I couldn't see.

For the first time, the amusement disappeared from his eyes.

Completely.

A second later, it was gone.

Hidden again.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

Lie.

I knew it immediately.

But before I could question him, he turned away.

"My king."

A guard approached quickly.

Urgent.

Concerned.

Kael's expression became unreadable.

"Report."

The guard lowered his voice.

Too low for me to hear.

But I caught three words.

Assassin.

Southern.

Investigation.

A chill ran down my spine.

Kael's eyes briefly met mine.

Something dangerous flickered there.

Not anger.

Concern.

Then it vanished.

The Heartless Alpha turned away.

"Double the palace security."

The guard bowed immediately.

Kael began walking away.

I stared after him.

Confused.

Because for a brief moment…

he had looked worried.

Not for himself.

For me.

And somehow…

that unsettled me more than anything else.

Far above the palace, hidden among the stone towers, a cloaked figure lowered a crossbow.

The bolt remained loaded.

Waiting.

Watching.

And smiling.

The War Luna had finally arrived.

And the game had begun.

---

Something was wrong.

I felt it the moment Kael walked away.

The air felt heavier.

The garden suddenly seemed too quiet.

Even the birds had stopped singing.

"My lady?"

Lina's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

A lie.

But before Lina could question me further, a movement caught my eye.

A flash.

Quick.

Almost invisible.

My instincts screamed.

Move.

A sharp whistle sliced through the air.

Then—

Pain exploded beside me.

A tree trunk behind me shattered as an arrow buried itself deep into the wood.

Lina screamed.

The garden erupted into chaos.

Guards rushed forward.

Servants ran.

Nobles scattered in panic.

For one frozen second, I could only stare at the arrow.

That had been aimed at me.

Someone had just tried to kill me.

"My lady!"

Lina grabbed my arm.

"I swear I only signed up for palace gossip, not assassination attempts," I muttered under my breath.

I stumbled backward.

My pulse thundered in my ears.

Another movement.

Another flash from above.

A second arrow.

This one aimed directly at my heart.

I never saw it coming.

But someone else did.

A dark figure moved faster than thought.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist.

The world spun.

The arrow flew past where I had been standing.

And shattered against stone.

I crashed into a hard chest.

A very familiar chest.

Kael.

The Alpha King's arm remained around me.

Holding me firmly against him.

His body was rigid.

Dangerously rigid.

For the first time since meeting him, I felt something terrifying from him.

Not coldness.

Not arrogance.

Rage.

Pure rage.

The garden temperature seemed to drop.

The guards immediately lowered their heads.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

Kael's silver eyes scanned the rooftops.

Predatory.

Murderous.

"Find them."

The words came out low.

Deadly.

Every guard in the garden immediately sprinted into action.

The assassin was already fleeing.

But Kael wasn't looking at the rooftops anymore.

He was looking at me.

Checking me.

Searching for injuries.

I hated that my heart reacted.

Hated it.

"I'm fine," I snapped.

"Of course you are," I added, quieter, "because apparently the universe enjoys testing my patience."

His jaw tightened.

"An arrow nearly pierced your chest."

"I'm still alive."

"That was luck."

His voice became colder.

"And I dislike relying on luck."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I realized something.

His arm was still around me.

Very much around me.

I looked up.

He looked down.

Neither of us moved.

The mate bond stirred.

Dangerously.

Heat flashed between us.

Annoying.

Confusing.

Unwelcome.

I stepped back immediately.

The moment was broken.

Good.

Because I didn't know what to do with it.

Kael's expression became unreadable again.

The mask returning.

"My king."

A guard approached and dropped to one knee.

"We lost the assassin."

Kael's eyes darkened.

"Impossible."

The guard swallowed.

"There was help."

Silence.

Then another guard arrived carrying something.

A broken metal badge.

The man's face was pale.

"My king..."

Kael took it.

The moment he saw the symbol, his expression changed.

Not visibly.

Most people would miss it.

I didn't.

For the first time…

the Heartless Alpha looked concerned.

"What is it?" I asked.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he closed his fist around the badge.

Too quickly.

Too deliberately.

Definitely suspicious.

"My king?"

Still no answer.

Then Kael turned toward the guards.

"Nobody speaks of this attack."

Confusion swept through the garden.

"But—"

"Nobody."

The guard immediately bowed.

"Yes, my king."

I stared at him.

Why hide it?

Who was he protecting?

Me?

Or someone else?

Kael finally looked at me again.

For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes.

Conflict.

Recognition.

Worry.

Then it vanished.

"You will remain under guard."

I folded my arms.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"You are getting one anyway."

"How romantic," I muttered.

Typical.

Arrogant.

Infuriating.

Yet before I could argue further, Kael leaned closer.

Close enough that only I could hear him.

And what he said sent a chill down my spine.

"The person who ordered that attack..."

His voice dropped lower.

"...is inside this palace."

My breath caught.

Kael straightened immediately.

His expression unreadable once more.

But the damage was done.

Because now I knew.

The danger wasn't outside the Northern Kingdom.

It was already inside.

And somewhere within the palace walls…

someone wanted the War Luna dead.